Informal Classes

I took the private pilot class. way too much information taught way too quickly. Once I started flying I had to stop due to medical problems and could not get any refund due to the fine print in their policies. Find someone else to fly with, Above and Beyond is way too inflexible

I have taken many classes and have always found them a valuable learning experience with knowledgeable and enthusiastic teachers. I just completed a two-​session course: Origami for Beginners. I knew nothing about it and wasn’t sure that it was a good choice for me having previously taken such classes as fly fishing, survival skills, bird watching, and canoeing. Ryan Fan, the origami teacher, was so motivating and responsive to the varied needs of the students, that I quickly became immersed in the process. I would recommend the Informal Classes to anyone wanting a varied learning experience

I took the Beginner and Intermediate Spanish Conversation class with Martha Randall. Martha is a talented and dynamic teacher. She fostered a sense of community within the class, making us all feel comfortable speaking Spanish with each other. It was a great balance between learning correct grammar and everyday Spanish conversation. I looked forward to class each week. I highly recommend Spanish with Martha.

Love the classes, but the Thompson center folks can’t seem to get the scheduling/​rescheduling/​notification system worked out. Of the last 3 classes I have taken, there were scheduling mishaps on 2 of them. (Sara, sorry I missed your puppet class — they sent a notice saying class was at 1 pm). I will keep trying… but VERY ANNOYING that the office folks can’t seem to work out their kinks.

I’ve taken a few classes so far — one dance class and one Spanish class. The beginner swing dance class was very good, but there were more women than men, so that was a little annoying. The Spanish class was great! I’m going to take another Spanish class this session.

Yes i have taken Introduction to photography classes for beginners and Carlos Austin is my instructor and he is really good and explains everything in detail.
If you have SLR camera and no idea about Manual mode and want to explore it than this class helps you a lot…
This class helps you to learn about your SLR camera in Manual mode…

Photography class is not as fun, composition and light, you are not allowed to take your camera, you can’t experiment during class, is loooong.

Love these inexpensive and eclectic classes. But the administrators want to kill them!
Join this facebook group to show your support:
If UT whacks TUIC, all they’ll have left in this category is Odyssey, which offers ten courses to the community. TEN! What’s wrong with this picture?

I was really impressed by the vast majority of classes offered through Informal Classes. Fly fishing, belly dancing, learn how to be a barista? yes, please! They have self development, educational, and career building classes too. It’s just a great mix of opportunity to be had by people of all ages and interests.
I just finished the Drawing II class. 5 classes, once a week. Honestly I am sad it’s already over. I was originally just looking for something different and out of my norm. Maybe draw a nice picture to frame. However, it actually rekindled that dwindling passion I once had for drawing. I actually want to sit down every now and then and take the time to draw/​sketch on my own free time.
We drew abstract objects, played with different techniques and styles of drawing, drew ourselves, drew each other, and for the last 2 classes, we drew nude models.*yikes*!
I was a bit nervous at first about drawing naked strangers. I mean a female nude model, fine whatever I see naked ladies all the time at the gym and Barton Springs. but drawing a guy’s junk? *eewww*
It actually wasn’t that bad. I didn’t giggle like I thought I would (yes, I can easily be immature and inappropriate at times). Everything about the class was natural and flowed well. We were provided structure for each class to focus on certain things, but had the freedom to explore and be flexible. Honestly it was the most relaxing, liberating, and enjoyable 2.5 hours of my day. I looked forward to class each week. It was great to just settle in on a blank sheet of paper and start sketching.
The class was great, the instructor Cecelia, didn’t make us beginners feel like we had nothing to offer as far as skill set. She was fun loving and very encouraging and passionate about our progress. I’d highly recommend this class for anyone thinking about getting into drawing or just wanting to get back into the practice… and if drawing is not your thing, there are plenty of other interesting classes to be explored. The class list is MASSIVE.
Spring semester offerings here I come. Maybe becoming a skilled barista is in my near future?

Informal Classes are a wonderful way to explore new hobbies in a structured learning environment. Plus, the fees are very reasonable. There is a host of interesting and useful topics to choose from. I have taken 2 classes, Intro to Mountain Biking and Drawing 101. The instructors are very good, because you can tell that they are teaching something they are passionate about. Although I probably won’t take any more for a while, since I’m pretty «classed out» by college, I highly recommend checking these out if you like, well, a class environment.
A great UT and community program.

I signed up for the Yoga class at the Union Center. The instructor (Amy) is great and she knows what she’s talking about. I recommend this class 100%. The only bad thing is that the parking is not free at the parking garages. The class is on campus, so if you have a permit great! if not then park on the street, it might be cheaper/​
I am already planning to take more classes.

One of the best thing I discovered when I moved to Austin is Informal Classes!
There are variety of choices to pick and the catalog will continue to inspire you to learn. I took the Belly Dancing class and Sailing Class. The instructors were awesome! My next target will be some art or language classes.

I love Informal Classes! I’ve taken two: one hip hop cardio class at The Dance Zone, that got you dancing to increase your heart rate, and one swing dance beginner’s class at the Texas Union that gave you a nice introduction.
My hip hop cardio class was almost all dancer-​types, but they didn’t mind us in the back row, huffing and puffing along with less style. You sometimes felt kind of silly humping the floor, and at the end of each class he’d make you go out one by one and dance with a chair, which was awkward, but I loved it nonetheless.
Be aware that in the swing dance class, even if you take the class with a partner, like my husband and I did, you still have to rotate and dance with everyone, which is helpful in making you a better dancer. That policy didn’t bother me and made it more of a social activity.
Both were lots of fun, fairly priced at around $ 50 for about 8 sessions, and had great instructors. I have absolutely no complaints!

I have taken a couple of classes and one was excellent. The other was a rock climbing class that I was super excited to take, but because of a mix up on the instructor’s part, I never got to go rock climbing. They were cool and allowed me to use the money I spent on the class as credit for another.
These can be very informative. Everyone I know who has taken them has enjoyed them, and I certainly recommend anyone to check out a course schedule.

Suffering from undergrad withdrawal and in no position to take on graduate school, I turned to UT Informal Classes. This is an absolutely fantastic organization.
Affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin, the Texas Union Informal Classes program has been around for 35 years and offers hundreds of courses for anyone who is interested. For the old, for the young, just curious or playing catch-​up, these classes are awesome. The variety of coursework runs the gamut from lunchtime aerobics and xtreme abs to writing, poetry, and foreign language. Not to mention digital photography, mind and body classes, money management, music education, travel, and entrepreneurship. (For a complete list of classes, check out their website.)
What I love about the Informal Classes is that they’re not a joke. The instructors take the classes seriously and do not waste your time or money. Speaking of dough, the classes cost. The price tag depends on a number of factors (affiliation with UT, length and structure of course, course materials), but I took a 6-​week Spanish course with a native speaking instructor for $ 80. She was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had the privilege of working with and I will continue to take her classes each semester for as long as I can.
Enrolling in a class is easy on their website. The classes meet at various Austin locations. The scheduling depends on the semester. Just like in college, you can be wait listed for a course. But just like in college, you can go and beg the prof to let you in. :)
Informal Classes is a worthwhile resource that I would highly encourage anyone to take advantage of.
Round out your knowledge with this invaluable opportunity.